From Russia with love, meet the Canucks' leading scorer
February 11th, 2017 -
In the midst of a rough season for Vancouver there are a few silver linings and perhaps the brightest of them is 26 year old Nikita Filatov. Drafted by the Blue Jackets 6th overall in 2008, the skilled youngster never managed to stick at the NHL level, whether it was attitude or usage or confidence or details he just couldn't make a decisive impact and wasn't really a bottom six type of player. Eventually he was moved to Ottawa and when that experiment failed he went back to his home country and thrived in the familiarity. Especially the past couple years he put up tremendous numbers in Russia and got the attention of NHL scouts and teams willing to offer him a second chance in the best league in the world.
With perhaps greater maturity and confidence, Nikita made the decision to cross the Pacific again and prove his worth on the biggest stage. Trevor Linden courted him, and whether it was the Pavel Bure connection or just the best shot at a top six opportunity, he chose Vancouver and signed for three years.
Filatov has not disappointed and looks to be the most savvy signing yet for Linden and his management team. Filatov's goal last night against the team that drafted him in a 4-1 victory was not only sweet, it was his 21st of the season. He leads Vancouver in goals and also in points with 39 and has established himself as a fixture on the top line, carrying them offensively even when Daniel and Henrik went down to injury. The future is bright for Filatov who seems to have established himself as a top six NHLer this time around. And maybe things aren't so dark in Vancouver either.